The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
In biological cells, ion channels or ion transporters/pumps may be used to maintain an electric potential across a cellular membrane, and/or to conduct an ionic current when the cell is depolarized. Patch-clamp techniques may be used to study the behavior of a single or multiple ion channels in a cellular membrane of a biological cell. An electrode may be coupled to the cellular membrane. Conventional patch clamp techniques may utilize glass micropipettes and analog electronics to monitor ion channel currents generated by the cellular membrane of the biological cell coupled to the electrode. The micropipette may be filled with a conductive solution, and a metal wire may be inserted to conduct an electrical current. The wire may be coupled to a patch-clamp amplifier and used to hold the voltage of the electrode and cellular membrane at a constant voltage value.